T.50s Niki Lauda: The Disruptor
GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE
Performance disrupted! Competition Disrupted? Will the T.50S live up to all Professor Murray promises it to be?
Well, let us start with the figures.
Weighing 500 lbs less than a Mazda Miata and 4x the horsepower, this 725 bhp, 1,878 lbs, $4.4 million track version of the T.50 promises to be one of the most extreme track toys, laying its rubber on race tarmac. And when it does, it will undoubtedly put a smile on the very lucky few, of the very lucky few.
Named to honour a legend, Niki Lauda, renowned race-car engineer, Gordon Murray, unveiled the T.50s Niki Lauda on Monday, which would have been the 72nd birthday of the Austrian legend who died in 2019.
GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE
GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE
Power will come from an even more highly tuned version of the T.50’s naturally aspirated 3.9-litre V-12, making 725 horsepower and revving to a dizzying 12,100 rpm. Shed an extra 200 lbs from an already svelte T.50 road-going model, and the T.50s has got "the same power-to-weight ratio as the car that came second at Le Mans last year."
Okay, Mr. Murray, you've got our attention.
Like the T.50, the Niki Lauda will feature fan-assisted aerodynamics, using a 48-volt-powered fan to increase its underfloor diffuser effectiveness. Peak downforce is 3,300 pounds, generating more than its weight—and therefore theoretically capable of travelling upside down—at 175 mph. "In a 150-mph corner, the T.50s will pull around 2.5 g of lateral acceleration and 3.5 g under braking," Murray promises.
GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE
GORDON MURRAY AUTOMOTIVE
A total of 25 Niki Laudas will be assembled. Production of the 4 million dollar track-day machine will begin in January 2023. Each of the 25 cars will be individually designated after one of the F1 wins by a Murray-designed Brabham or McLaren F1 racing car. "The T.50s is inspired by my love of motorsport, so it seemed entirely fitting to create this special connection to iconic races from the past."
Well, Professor, it is with great anticipation that we await the sound of those 12,100 howls emanating from that fabulous naturally aspirated Cosworth of an engine. Yes, the T.50s has some big shoes to fill, but with "F1" goodness coursing through its heart, the T.50s is trending to become another great Murray creation for the history books!
In commemoration of this monster of a rocket, we couldn’t help but release a special MOONRCKT Profile for this historic ride.
